Is Forever Too Long to Wait?
by Liv-x-Case-Benson
Summary: It is a year after Andy’s death and Prue still blames herself...When Barbas resurfaces, will he give Prue an extra shove, or will someone be able to save her? Full summary inside.


**Author's Note: Hi everyone! I'm here with a new fan fiction for you. I hope you like it.**

It is a year after Andy's death and Prue still blames herself. For months, she has seen herself in dark places doing unthinkable, unspeakable things. Every night she dreams of him and every night she dreams of his death. She's even dreamt of her own death, from time to time. Prue never goes anywhere anymore because of the media. The night Andy died, the news crew was outside the Manor and all they knew was that he went in, something happened, and he died. When Barbas resurfaces, will he give Prue an extra shove, or will her someone be able to save her?

* * *

Is Forever Too Long To Wait?

By: Piper Chris Melinda Halliwell

The morning sun shone through the blinds, but she rolled over in an attempt to block out the light that meant it had been an entire year. A miserable year since something had happened that had changed everything she thought was normal...although she wasn't normal now, was she? No, she wasn't and she never could be. She was a Charmed One, the oldest sister and a damn good witch. _'I don't feel like I should be though. Not with what happened a year ago today.'_ She thought.

Prue Halliwell sat up in bed and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She looked toward the desk in her room only to find why she felt the way that she did. She'd been up late trying to write a letter to tell him how sorry she was...for everything. She was sorry for telling him who she really was, _'That was what got him killed. He tried to save us.'_ Prue thought as she pushed the covers back, swung her legs over the edge, looking at the clock on her bedside table. _'10:00. Wow, I slept hard.'_ She stood and walked over to her desk, picked up the letter with her hands trembling, and began to read it.

_Dear Andy,_

_I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am for getting you involved in my secretive, dangerous life. I guess I was hoping, somehow, that we could start where we left off in the end of our senior year in high school, but I should've known that wasn't possible anymore..._

She couldn't keep reading...the more she read the more obvious it was to her. _'It's my fault. If I hadn't told him who I really was...maybe he'd still...we would still be...'_ Prue's entire body began to shake and she almost didn't make it to the chair before breaking down.

She looked down at the letter that her hands could hardly keep still. Teardrop after teardrop fell on the words she'd written. She'd been trying so hard to just sleep and forget it, but every night the dream was the same. Sure, she hadn't really seen how he had died, and even though her sisters had flat-out refused to tell her, she knew. Her dreams told her what had really happened and every time he said the same thing that it wasn't her fault-it was fate. _'I hardly think it's really fate, but then again, I probably won't know until I see you again, will I, Andy?'_

Prue felt like she was being watched, but that had become almost a normal feeling for her. The media practically surrounded the Manor for two or three months after his death. Andy thought that no one knew he was there to help them. He had been wrong though.

His partner, _'what was his name? Oh well, it doesn't matter now.'_ She thought. Anyway, his partner had followed him there. Andy had ordered him to stay put until he came back and he did stay there...until the ambulance arrived, that is.

"What could we have done?" She whispered through the quietness of her room. "Say he was killed by Tempus's partner? Then they'd ask who they were...who we really are."

'It's my fault. I got him killed.' Her voice resounded in her head. Her sisters told her over and over that it wasn't, but she didn't believe them. She knew she should, but she just couldn't.

She'd been having these thoughts for a little over a month now. Thoughts that were highly unlike her. Prue was always the one who held things together, but lately her thoughts had become extremely dangerous. She wanted to tell Piper, but her pride kept her from it. Nothing was supposed to bother her...she was always supposed to be prepared for anything.

"I need a release." She voiced aloud. Setting the letter back on her desk, she stood and walked from her room to the bathroom. Piper was working at Quake and Phoebe was...gone somewhere. The locations of her sisters didn't really concern her now.

Locking the bathroom door, Prue slid down it until she was sitting on the floor.

"Prue?" Barbas spoke. She looked up from her hands, her face wet with fresh tears.

"Andy? Andy, where are you?" She asked desperately.

"Come to me, Prue. I want you with me."

"But my sisters...they need me." She tried to reason.

"Why stay when you could just get them killed? Why stay when you can be with me...and happy?" Barbas asked. Prue was the one who held the Power of Three together. If he could get to her, Piper and Phoebe were as good as gone.

"I-I can't..." She said as her tears cascaded down her cheeks.

"Why? Don't you love me, Prue? Don't you want us to be together again?"

"Y-yes, but I just can't...not that way." Prue said wiping her eyes, standing and walking back to her room. She walked over and sat down at her desk, pulling out a piece of paper and pen. She did love them, with all she had, that was why she was writing this letter to Piper. Phoebe wouldn't understand.

She did want to be with Andy, but her bond with her sisters was stronger than anything. Even though she fought almost endlessly with Phoebe, the two sisters knew they'd always be there for each other, no matter what happened.

Trying to find the right words wasn't an easy task though. She didn't even really know why she was writing this letter, to be honest. It just felt like she should, but it almost didn't feel like her. She was so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't even noticed her hand writing...of its own accord. She looked down at the words.

_Dear Piper,_

_I'm having more trouble with Andy's death than anyone thought and even though it hurts to say this I need to say goodbye..._

"I can't deny it any longer. I need to be with...him again..." Prue read aloud, tears falling as she read the last few words.

It was almost like her heart was in control, like her heart was saying what she didn't want to believe. Instantly, she tried to drop the pen, but it was like the pen was glued to her hand. She tried to shake it off, but it wouldn't budge. It was moving toward the letter, wanting to write more, to give Piper a final goodbye.

"This...isn't...me... Yes, maybe I do feel this way, but I would never-" Her words were interrupted by the front door closing.

"Prue? Prue, are you still here?" Phoebe asked walking upstairs.

_'Maybe I was wrong about this...maybe she can help me...'_ Prue thought.

"Phoebe! Phoebe, help!" Prue yelled. 'Phoebe? She can't help me...she's not good at anything like this...' Barbas said.

"Prue?" Phoebe asked walking over and kneeling beside her. "Prue, what's wrong?" Phoebe asked, while trying to wipe her tears away. She could see how shaken she was. Almost like a demon had...

"Ph-Phoebe..." Prue said as her tears fell faster. She dropped the pen. "Here, read this." She said as she picked up the letter trembling, handing it to Phoebe, almost dropping it.

It wasn't very much, but it said enough.

"Prue...is this really how you feel?" Phoebe asked. She didn't think her big sister could ever say this...not in a million years, but Andy's death had hit her the hardest.

"P-part of it..." She said. Phoebe dropped the letter, if it could be called that, on the floor and hugged her distraught oldest sister. "B-but the other part isn't..."

"Here, come on. Let's go sit over there, might be a bit more comfortable." Phoebe told her.

"Okay." Prue said standing, trying to take a step, but nearly falling. Phoebe put her arm around her shoulder and helped her to her bed.

"Can you tell me which part was you, Prue?" Phoebe asked as Prue leaned and rested her head on her shoulder. Phoebe's arm came around her.

"Just the very first part...about how his death is affecting me more than you know." She said.

"So the other part is...who?"

"I don't know...it's like this voice that telling me that it's my fault and that me being here anymore would only get the two of you hurt..." Prue told her, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

"I believe the first part was you, Prue. I understand that, but it sounds to me like the last part was your fear. Honey, you don't have to be afraid of anything happening to me or Piper because of you. If something does, we wouldn't blame you we-"

"Wait, you said fear didn't you?" Prue asked, now realizing what was happening to her.

"Yeah, why?" Phoebe asked as Prue lifted her head from her shoulder.

"There's only one demon that plays on people's fears, Phoebe."

"Barbas." Phoebe realized.

"Right."

"And the only way to make him go away, as we know, is to conquer your fear of this." Phoebe said, taking Prue's hand that rested on her arm.

"I don't know if I can, Pheebs. I wish I did." Prue told her as Phoebe reached up and wiped a tear from her eye.

"I know you can. You feel responsible for his death, but you're not. He tried to protect us...it just happened. And it wasn't our fault."

"I know that, but it just feels like...if I hadn't told him about who I was now he would still be here with us." Prue said.

"He would've found out somehow. Even when he did know, he still loved you for you and not because of your powers. He wasn't afraid...shocked yes, but he knew you. What's so funny?" Phoebe asked seeing Prue smile through her tears.

"I was just thinking of his reaction when I first told him...he nearly passed out!" She said laughing slightly.

"I thought he did!" Phoebe said laughing.

"No, no, that was after I confirmed it, when he came here and both of you were here." She said laughing.

"See? If you can laugh about that, then you can do this." Phoebe told her.

"You...really think so?" Prue asked with uncertainty.

"Of course I do. You were the one who held all of us together after everything happened. You were there to help me, let me help you." Phoebe told her hugging her lightly, which Prue returned rather hard.

"Sure, Pheebs. I'll do anything not to feel like this again."

"Why didn't you tell us before?" She asked. Prue looked directly into her baby sister's eyes and saw the emotions that she felt, but it was a little different. Phoebe looked hurt that she hadn't told them anything.

"I just didn't think you would understand." Prue said wiping the tears that were beginning to fall from Phoebe's eyes. "What's wrong? You look scared. I told you what was bothering me, so what's wrong?"

Phoebe opened her hand to reveal a razor blade.

"I found it just outside the room. Prue, are you sure you don't need someone to talk to other than us? Prue?"

All Prue could do was stare at the object. She certainly didn't remember walking over to the cabinet and removing it. No, she was sure she didn't. So who did?

"Phoebe, I don't even remember walking over to the cabinet. I swear." Prue told her, breaking from her embrace, and taking it from her and throwing it in a nearby trashcan.

"Okay, then what did happen?" Phoebe asked.

Prue then proceeded to tell Phoebe everything that happened from when she woke up to when she called for her.

"So you definitely didn't take this?"

"Yes, I swear, Phoebe. You know, I do remember Piper getting in the shower last night...maybe she accidentally caught it on a piece of clothing." Prue suggested.

"Maybe..."

"Hey, can we just keep this between us? I don't want to worry Piper if I don't have to." Prue said standing.

"Me? Keep a secret? Really?" Phoebe said.

"Well, yeah, you've got a point." Prue said walking over, picking up the note, and ripping it into tiny pieces. She then walked back over to Phoebe. "Here, you do the honors." She said emptying the contents of her hand into Phoebe's.

"Okay." Phoebe told her walking over and throwing it away. "Relax Prue, I won't say anything. I think I can keep this secret."

"Normally, I wouldn't believe you, but you know how I felt, so okay." Prue said as they walked out of the room.

That was the only secret Phoebe kept to herself for her entire life. And after that talk, Barbas never bothered Prue again with Andy's death. As strange as it seemed, that incident brought the two sisters closer together than they'd ever been and it remained that way long after Prue was gone.

The End

* * *

**A/N: **So What do you think of my first Prue/Phoebe fic? I've been working on it for a while.

Please R&R.

Until the next one-short or update, I hope everyone enjoys this.

Have a good day/night.

**Piper Chris Melinda Halliwell**


End file.
